A car with hay sticking out of its grill comes into view from our angle, we’re well back be in the car we can’t really hear them but it looks like one is shouting. The car’s engine revs and begins to pick up speed aim directly for the middle of the hay. If they hit the stack there the truck will be 3 foot later directly in their path. They hit the hay at fifty or sixty miles an hour and slam into the truck had on at that speed.
These guys are not smart to start with. Only the driver had on his seatbelt. The three others in the car fly forward, is an older make car without airbags so they have nothing to restrain them. The passenger behind the driver hits the driver in the head so hard both are dead instantly. The front seat passenger goes through the windshield followed quickly by the passenger behind him. It all happened so fast if I blinked I would’ve missed it. I really wish I had. There was one huge boom from the crash. Now gasoline runs all over the place. It looks like they ruptured the tank on the truck.
Unbelievably one of them actually stands he’s bloody and bleeding but it looks like he has a grenade in his hand of some kind. He struggles but pulls the pin and brings his arm back for a pitch. That’s the last mistake he made both shotguns are up and with the shot they have, in range. Both the judge and the coach fire both hit him. The grenade falls upon the ground and explodes igniting the gasoline. The grenade would’ve been bad enough with the gasoline added to it the explosion blows the three of us down.
That’s the end of Sam’s nightmare. Two large booms, I know they heard from miles away, my ears are ringing but hopefully that won’t last. But if it does it was well worth the cost to keep my Sam safe, and end her nightmare.
The Judge called back on the police radio, we get a fire truck along with the County corner just as the County Sheriff arrives.
My ears are still ringing but not near as bad once I walked downstairs and hit the intercom and say, “Everything is fine.”
Marshall is the first out the door and he comes out very cautiously still yet. “Is Dad okay? That was a little louder than a shotgun.”
At least that was what I thought he said. I reply, “If he’s like me he’s ears are ringing pretty bad. Other than that, he is fine.”
Kathryn is crying as she runs to me. “What did you do?”
As lightly as I possibly can I say, “I guess you can say I parked the truck in a bad spot for them. They didn’t see it. They hit it when they were going pretty fast.”
Sam wraps her arms around my leg so tightly I think she never wants to let go. I finally coach her into coming up into my arms, just about the time my foot goes to sleep. Sam says, “Daddy I was so scared. I’m so happy you’re okay. I love you.” Her arms go so tightly around my neck I wish she was at my leg because I think I’m going to pass out. Kathryn comes to my rescue and talks Sam into loosening her grip.
Mom comes over and wraps the three of us in her arms. She says, “JJ, never scare me like that again.”
MC is talking to Uncle George and Grandpa Michael. The Judge and the Coach they relay the story is not only MC listens but most of the family. I think to myself this is going to be an interesting chapter of that book. Especially the way the two are telling it.
The fire engine arrived put out the last of the fire, both vehicles were burning. The explosion was powerful enough that all the bales of hay were utterly destroy and scattered. You couldn’t even tell they were single bale on the road.
By the time Kara’s birthday party starting my hearing had become normal again. The event is starting very well. Kathryn and I danced several times together. When Sam finally came down she looked wonderful in a dress that matched Kathryn’s. I had my two beautiful ladies with me. Kathryn would get one dance, then Sam the next. Occasionally one of my sister-in-laws would ask for a dance and I gladly dance with them too. Joan and MC got a few dances as well. The Coach seems to get a dance in with each of his daughters, his wife and even a couple with his granddaughter.
Matt was there with Karen they seem to monopolize each other’s time. Uncle George and Alyssa spent most of the evening dancing together as well. Although I do notice Uncle George dancing with Joan a few times too.
Kathryn had me dance with Kara a few more times, but Daniel seemed to take up a lot of her time. A little slowly at first but as the evening went on the two were together more and more. I’m hoping this is a really good thing. At least to step in the right direction for Kara, I hated being the impossible object of her affection.
At the end of the evening the Coach had me set off Kara’s car alarm. Then he complains loudly while he was giving a speech about his little girl. Just before the speech that evening I had slipped her keys into her pocket when we danced together. When he pulled her up on stage and insists that she turns off the alarm to her car. The look of confusion on Kara’s face was priceless. The Coach says, “Just reach into your pocket and get your keys out and turn off that damn alarm.”
We had a car on a barge tied to the end of the dock hidden behind a curtain. From inside the boat house no one ever noticed it. I had turned the lights off on the dock. As Kara reached into her pocket her finger found the keys she hadn’t noticed yet. The look of total surprise was on her face as she pulled the keys from her pocket. As soon as she turned off the alarm the curtain fell, spotlights came on, and the doors open revealing her car. Kara jumps into her Dad’s open arms giving him a large kiss.
After she finished kissing her father, she knew I was the one who slipped the keys into her pocket. She jumps into my arms like she did with her father. After she kisses me, there’s almost a slight look of disappointment. She realizes as do I there are nothing more than the warm feelings a brother and sister between us now. She asked how much I ended up giving for the car and I told her that Kathryn and I put up ten thousand dollars and your parents did the rest.
She hugs Kathryn and gives Kathryn a kiss on the cheek. She whispers something into Kathryn’s ear and they both smiled at each other.
When Kara finds Daniel he seems a little jealous until she pulls him into a long passionate kiss. The two smile at each other after they break.
I talked to Michael about Daniel. The coach had glowing words about the young man. I told him that Daniel was probably interested in Kara. That brought a smile to the coach’s face. She had a puppy love for him back before I came into her life. Daniel had left for college four years ago when I showed up that summer. Daniel had spent a lot of time at the coach’s house, and Kara always had a crush on him since she was ten years old. Daniel and Michael Junior were best friends even with Michael being a year younger than him.
By the time some interesting facts emerge about Lester’s lawyer. His lawyer was a former convict who got the evidence overturned in his conviction, with it expunged from his records he was able to take the bar exam and become a lawyer. Lester at one point was a cellmate. He probably was able to testify against him if he went to jail.
We found out also that Nicole had taken Sam’s inheritance, two life insurance policies from her parents that paid to trust for her, plus the estate her grandmother left. Fortunately the trust lawyers limited the amount that can be withdrawn a year. Sam’s Aunt Nicole and Lester were only able to take a hundred thousand from Sam’s trust.
We find the remains of three assault rifles, four pistols and a battering ram along with thirty-two lug nuts. Of the four, Lester was the hardest to identify very little of his body remained. A DNA test was required to obtain a positive identification. The driver turned out to be his lawyer.
We had to replace the mailboxes. The fence needed some work to repair the damage from the explosion. The road was the worst mainly due to the fire. Now it has several potholes that will require patching. Only the four criminals were victim to their own actions. Hope fully life will begin to become more normal again.
Tomorrow we’re off to the airport, Alyssa needs to be in California in two days. Her court date is in the afternoon on Friday. We’ll fly them out on Wednesday, the meet with the lawyers Thursday to go over everything on the case. Then they would be in court this Friday. Alyssa decide stay a couple days so she can handle everything else, visit a few friends and handle any loose ends that still need to be taken care of. Mom will be staying with Alyssa and Johnny until they return. In about a week to ten days whatever Alyssa needs to conclude her life in California.
It’s still too early to know for absolutely sure, but I tell Sam that Lester is dead. We’ll know for sure in a day or two. There wasn’t much left of him, he was at the center of the blast and fire. They did find enough of his remains to ensure he didn’t just lose an arm or something. They found his head and torso pretty well burnt to a crisp.
Sam slept peacefully that night, but I missed her. Kathryn did as well. The first thing we did was to go to Sam’s room in the morning. Kathryn kissed Sam awake, when Sam was awake she throws her arms around Kathryn and says, “Good morning Mommy I slept good.”
I ask, “Any nightmare Sam?”
Sam giggles and says, “Daddy I didn’t have any nightmares. I had lots of good dreams.”
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